1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a variable tape feeder, and more particularly, to a variable tape feeder capable of adjusting a width of a transfer path formed therein as well as widths of a component feeding section and an accommodating section provided on the transfer path according to the width of a carrier tape transferred along the transfer path.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, tape feeders are installed on component mounters called chip mounters in the form of a cartridge to feed a predetermined number of components to the component mounters, and may be variously classified as 8 mm, 12 mm, 16 mm, 24 mm, 32 mm, 44 mm, 56 mm, and 88 mm tape feeders according to the width of a carrier tape.
The tape feeders include combination tape feeders in which two carrier tapes having different widths are compatible with each other. For example, the 12 mm carrier tape may be fed to the 16 mm tape feeder. Similarly, the 24 mm, 44 mm and 72 mm carrier tapes may be fed to the 32 mm, 56 mm and 88 mm tape feeders, respectively. In other words, the combination tape feeders are designed to be able to use two carrier tapes having adjacent widths.
Further, the component mounters are machines that automatically mount semiconductor chips fed by the tape feeder to preset locations of a printed circuit board (PCB), and mount various components fed in various methods on the PCB using a suction nozzle operated by a robot. Here, the tape feeder is used to feed relatively small components packaged in a carrier tape to the component mounter.
The carrier tape feeding the components through the tape feeder includes a base tape in which relatively small components are packaged at regular intervals, and a cover tape covering the base tape in order to protect the components, and is wound on a reel. The tape feeder feeds the components packaged at regular intervals to the component mounter while removing the cover tape from the base tape of the carrier tape wound on the reel.
The component mounter mounts the components on the PCB using the robot-operated suction nozzle to suck or pick up the components, which are held in the base tape of the carrier tape with the cover tape removed, and then transferring the components to the PCB.
This tape feeder is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2007-039322. The disclosed tape feeder includes a frame having a transfer path along which a carrier tape is transferred. The frame is coupled with a ratchet gear and a sprocket, both of which are coaxially coupled to each other. The ratchet gear is coaxially coupled with a pivotable pusher lever. The pusher lever is operated by multiple links and a driving cylinder.
The pusher lever is coupled with a push pawl through a torsion spring. The push pawl is disengaged from any tooth of the ratchet gear when being moved forward by one of the links, and is engaged with the tooth of the ratchet gear when being moved backward by the link, thereby rotating the ratchet gear at a predetermined angle. A stop pawl is pivotably installed on the frame such that the ratchet gear can stop rotating at a position where the ratchet gear is rotated by the push pawl. The stop pawl is coupled with a tension spring providing elasticity to be able to be engaged with the tooth of the ratchet gear.
Thus, the forward and backward movement of the link causes the push pawl to rotate the ratchet gear at a predetermined angle, so that the stop pawl is disengaged from the tooth of the ratchet gear, and then is engaged with the next tooth of the ratchet gear.
When the ratchet gear is rotated, the sprocket is also rotated. Thus, the carrier tape is advanced pitch by pitch, and the cover tape thereof is removed and discharged backward. Then, the components held in the base tape of the carrier tape are fed to the component mounter.
In order to discharge the cover tape backward, a first rotator and a second rotator engaged with the first rotator are provided. The cover tape is interposed between the first and second rotators. Thus, the first and second rotators are rotated to discharge the cover tape to an accommodating section having a predetermined space. Here, the tape feeder can be configured to drive the sprocket, the first rotator, and the second rotator using a driving motor without using respective driving cylinders.
Here, the tape feeder designed to feed only a single width of carrier tape causes no trouble when the carrier tape is transferred. However, the tape feeder designed to be able to use at least two widths of carrier tape has an extra space along the transfer path, and thus suffers from deflection of the carrier tape.
For this reason, the carrier tape is not smoothly fed along the transfer path of the tape feeder, and the components are not accurately fed to the head of a component feeding section. In other words, a suction position of the components varies causing a pickup error. Further, the cover tape is entangled in the accommodating section to which the cover tape is discharged, and thus fails to be guided toward a door.
Furthermore, in the case in which the cover tape is entangled on the way to the door, the first and second rotators for discharging the cover tape are loaded. In the worst case, the cover tape is not discharged and may cause setbacks in production.